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March 1, 2016

Meet MasterClass, where A-listers share their knowledge

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Class Act

If you want to take an acting class, you’re probably going to be taught by a less-than-successful actor. Same goes for writing, athletics, or just about any creative endeavor.

MasterClass turns that model on its head, offering online classes that feature the likes of Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman on acting, Christina Aguilera on singing, Serena Williams on tennis, and James Patterson on writing.

Each $90 MasterClass runs from 10 to 25 video lessons, with interactive exercises and workbooks included. Last week the company announced a $15 million Series B funding aimed at expanding the platform’s roster and building out their team.

“One of the most surprising things is how active our community has been,” cofounder David Rogier told us. “Our students are setting up Facebook groups and meet-ups all over the world, on their own. And also how involved our instructors have been. James Patterson was so impressed with some of his students’ work that he announced that he’s going to choose someone from the class to be his next coauthor.”

So how did they land such a prestigious lineup? “At first it was really hard,” Rogier said. “We were just two guys in a shared office space, and we were trying to reach out however we could. Now that we’ve launched, it’s gotten much easier… All our instructors share in the success of their classes, although we don’t talk about how we structure those deals.”